[ala]

I have a EDC bag in the truck and a BOB for me and another for the wife. 3 gas masks for each of us... little boy too. Right now I have one in each bag but they take up a good bit of room.

I put one in each BOB so that we'd have it in case SHTF and then figured that I need one in EDC to get home in case SHTF.

I am thinking of moving them all to my storage with the rest of my preparations at home next to ammo and other stuff I may not lug out. This would be to make room in EDC and BOB for other broader use survival necessities.

Thoughts? I've read a bunch of threads and I notice that most people don't show masks in their "what's in my bag" posts.

 

[compboy]

I don't have a gas mask. Generally I'm not worried about getting gased. In a pandemic I'm more worried about the fact I'll be infected and wont know it then anything. I was planning on using a wet rag worst case if I need one I'm thinking about the surgery masks for pandemic but I don't know about a gas mask. If I was so inclined I'd leave it in my BOB. Personally, course I think in any situation I'd be real careful about putting gas mask on.

 

[Division7]

I think a gas mask is an important item to have on hand but I keep mine in the house with my other gear. In my car I have a first aid kit that has radiation and anthrax pills. The pills are a temporary solution until you get to you gas mask, they prevent your body from absorbing radiation/ anthrax etc.

 

[ala]

I do have iodine pills in the BOB.

 

[wildjo]

I think a gas mask is an important item to have on hand but I keep mine in the house with my other gear. In my car I have a first aid kit that has radiation and anthrax pills. The pills are a temporary solution until you get to you gas mask, they prevent your body from absorbing radiation/ anthrax etc.

what are the anthrax pills?

 

[Brew]

Two masks on the shelf with the ammo. two cans for each. Sole purpose is fallout filtering and we have 50 or so two stage dust elements that can be duct taped in front of the inlet holes.

Not sure if anyone is aware of this but most gas masks are not certified for gas once they hit the civy market. They should only be used for toxic dusts such as fallout or volcanic ash the same as a regular respirator. They do however keep the dust out of your eyes which is very important.

If you find any of the yellow tubes that look like pens, they need to be destroyed. Put them in a glass jar until they can go into a sharps container with other needles. The atropine has not worked in them for about a decade and they are deadly if used, as its broken down into a putrid brown, stinky fluid.

 

[Grinnan Barrett]

Be careful a lot of the masks on the market for the last several years are from old stock of places like Isreal, germany and even East Germany. Not only are the masks no good but the filters are junk. You shake them and you can hear the filter sound like a musical instrument in the percussion section. If the seal on the filter is broken it is no good.

I agree with some of the others about masks. I have some Italian high quality masks but will probably never use them. Good filter masks to keep stuff out of your lungs will come nearer to being what we need. In each of my vehicles i have stuff to make a safe room. Plastic sheeting, heavy duty tape, staple guns, filters for intake.

 

[ala]

filters for intake.

What type of filters? Something like Filtrete HVAC filters?

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...tion/FiltreteProducts/HighPerformanceFilters/

 

[stampsm]

what are the anthrax pills?

from
CRC Press - BioTerrorism Field Guide to Disease Identification and Initial Patient Management

on the subject of anthrax

Treatment
Immediate Treatment

Ciprofloxacin (400 mg IV q 12 hours) oral administration is ineffective

Doxycycline (200 mg IV load, followed by 100 mg IV q 12 hours) oral administration is ineffective

Penicillin G (8 to 12 million units IV divided q 4–6 hours) may be an alternative after establishing absence of sensitivity

Maintenance Treatment

Continue treatment for 4 weeks after symptoms resolve

Ciprofloxacin (750 mg PO bid) or doxycycline (100 mg PO q 12 hours)

Supportive therapy for shock, fluid volume deficit, and adequate airway may be required

the book might be a little overkill for the average reference library, but it has alot of good info. if you are lucky you can pick up a used copy for a little over 10-15 dollars.

 

[Fishbread]

We each have one in a gas mask bag hanging above our nightstands. Figure thats most likely where we'll need them if the time ever comes. These are pretty much only for CS. Figure the ones most likely to use it on us will wait until the wee hours when normal folk are asleep.

 

[rednecknoise]

We each have one in a gas mask bag hanging above our nightstands. Figure thats most likely where we'll need them if the time ever comes. These are pretty much only for CS. Figure the ones most likely to use it on us will wait until the wee hours when normal folk are asleep.

true, i think most put to much into NBC gear . That's just me.
I have all my nbc stuff in one large tote. I have our main mask,filters ready to roll and back up mask and filters packed as well.
The thing that gets me is the chem/bio deal. By the time you know the gig is up it may be to late for you unless you have the proper sensors/alarms etc( unless the news just said anthrax spill and your downwind of it.)
Personally i plan for keeping out
smoke,CS( or similar agents) and nuke fallout and plan around that.

 

[Lowdown3]

Where to keep your gas masks?

In your car, especially if you work outside the home.

In your house, under the bed can be a good place, right there bada bing.

Now to respond to some of the other things in thread-

Re: "radiation pills"= No such thing. What your probably referring to is Potassium Iodine or Iodate, commonly called KI or KI03. OK, let's clear something up here- these pills will NOT:

*"Cure radiation"
*"Prevent radiation"
*Keep you from getting radiation sickness
*"Block radiation"

This is all Bravo Sierra! Sorry no nice way to say it, lives are at stake here!!!!

What Potassium Iodate DOES DO-

Blocks the THYROID gland of the uptake of ONE type of radioactive isotope - RadioIodide 138 (131?) It basically floods the thyroid with harmless iodine to protect it from the radioactive iodine isotope.

It is NO SUBSTITUTE FOR:

*A mask to protect your lungs from breathing in Radioactive gases (course your going to be VERY close to the attack to breathe those, which means, your probably SOL due to blast effects anyways)
*Mass, distance and time- THESE are the real factors that will protect you against nuclear radiation.

So basically KI is useful to protect ONE organ of the body against ONE SPECIFIC type of isotope- nuclear fallout contains "more than a few" types of radioactive isotopes....

Unlike in the movie "Sum of all Fears" you aren't going to be running around and playing in the fallout- well if your smart you won't!!!

Suggest anyone interested in this subject take the time to get educated. The videos listed here all total are around an hour and a half. They were shot at a public campout that we do annually here in Georgia.


http://www.buildanark.net/index.php?How To Videos.html

There's also a text article here that will get you started on your basic planning for nuclear-

http://www.buildanark.net/index.php?nbc/Nuclear Survival Planning.html

Good luck! Anyone have any specific questions I'll try to help.

Lowdown3

 

[hanklet0]

I keep my mask in my jeep with my BOB. Wife has one in her car. Figure if I need it odds are I will be out an about and need it to get home. If I need it at home I can just quick run out an grab it. I recently got some of those radiation pills. I split one bottle between our BOBS. Somthing I recently invested in was a bunch of plastic drop cloths and duct tape. I also got a large tupperware tub and put a scrub brush, baking soda and some water jugs in it for de-con.

 

[Wolfen]

1 S10 in the boot of my car with NBC gear
3 S10 stored under the stairs with spare canisters general spares and service kits
1 S10 in my bedroom cupboard

 

[AAPEXX]

I have reg 3M filter masks right now & deffinately don't have the $$ to spend on a 2 or 3genuine gas masks. I just got off the phone & put in an order for 4, 3M Cartridge Respirator Masks! i already have 2,but use those for work stuff. the new ones will be put in stocks.
i think there are elastic type covers available maybe not by 3m..but that covers each cartridge & can be dusted off for extended filter life.
checkout this link for some alternatives to full fledged gas masks. http://www.northernsafety.com/Searc...rotection-Air-Purifying-3M-Air-Purifying.html


does anyone know if real gas mask filters will fit/screw into an your average civy air filter respiator mask?

 

[Lowdown3]

Aapex-

What's considered the "standard NATO thread" is a 40mm thread.

Now the US uses that as well, but what you'll find is that the rolling process in the threads is slightly different. You CAN use a euro surplus NATO threaded filter in something like a US MCU2P or m40 but it won't tighten down as much as an American issue C2A1 filter will.

In general you want an M95 or later dated C2A1 filter.

There is a LOT of "hype" on the net, especially from companies that want to sell you $400. masks and therefore try to convince you that ANY mask they don't sell is "useless", "obsolete", etc. A little RESEARCH and cross checking there "facts" will show most of it is BRAVO SIERRA!

 

[test]

My 2 cents;
My family is equipted with masks and NBC trained. Probably the most likely SHTF scenerio with be an exposure of some type/degree. We, (All of us on the forum), stock food and weapons and practice bug-outs, but usually drop the ball on NBC preparedness.
1. Keep the masks within two minutes to don. This usually means in the car. The car is usually parked close. You leave them in the house, and you will forget to take them most of the time. Plus, it's a pain to load them, for a trip to the grocery store.(This means masks , filters attached, inside of 2 or 3 gallon zip-lock bags, spare filters, potassiun iod pills, hydration canteens/camelbacks,(It gets hot fast in the masks!),
2. Masks are not cheap, get the best, M95 or better for adults, small children---Isreali Youth masks Generation II--NEW ( With NBC filters & hydration capable.SafetyTech International, Inc.
3. You would be surprised what a handkerchief or your t-shirt (Wrapped around your face and wet down with water or soda will keep out), this can always be in you kids pocket at school, minimum training and only a $0.99 at Wal-mart.

Bubba1

 

[Dwind]

on a hook right outside the bathroom, as a courtesy.

 

[SurvivorTech]

gas mask

I keep 1 in the house for every member and I carry 1 in my truck.

 

[Grumble69]

I'm rural. Don't have one. I'll have a better chance of hitting the lottery than needing a gm.